PM, ex-president to attend funeral of Margaret Thatcher

Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas and ex-president Václav Klaus will attend the funeral of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher next week, according to government spokesman Jan Hrubeš. The funeral service is to be held on Wednesday, April 17 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London which can accommodate up to 2,300 guests. Former president Klaus has long cited Mrs Thatcher as an inspiration in politics; he met with her personally on many occasions. Among other former world leaders, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan’s widow, Nancy Reagan, both declined invitations for health reasons, ČTK said.